Chapter 155

Heroes of the Allied Army (2)

Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] had evolved to an entirely different level—not just in the size of its explosion, but in its overall scale. Where its former power had been enough to land an effective hit on a Sovereign, it could now inflict a critical wound. That seemed to be thanks to the physical enhancements I had gained by using Predation[S+] on the ogre.

Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] was not something I had simply acquired. It was a skill I had evolved by fully understanding the individual mechanisms of my biological evolutionary abilities and combining them. Acquiring a skill once was not the end. An ability that could be continually developed and evolved—that was the essence of Predation[S+].

In that sense, the essence of Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] lay in “energy compression.” And my physical capabilities had increased enormously after I used Predation[S+] on the ogre.

Hyperdense Myofibrils[A+] increased my energy output. Ultra-Reinforced Skeletal Structure[A] increased the density to which I could compress that energy. Enhanced Sensorimotor Control[A-] made precise energy compression possible.

As a result, its base damage had risen from [5x] to [8x], and the damage at the center of the explosion from [8x] to [12x]. Its blast range and effect radius had also expanded by [+80%]. Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] had evolved to another level—not just in the size of its explosion, but in its overall scale.

Perhaps that was why my entire right arm had been blown off. Even my evolved body could not withstand the increase in power. Still, my left arm was intact, so I replenished my calories while Brumbar and the dwarves cleared up the site.

That was when it happened.

“Adrian.”

I heard Isolde's voice. Her quiet tone betrayed no apparent surprise or confusion, even after witnessing Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L]. Then again, she had already seen it in Violess.

“If that's how we're doing this, would you mind if I helped?”

If that's how we were doing this...?

As the question occurred to me, something began seething in Isolde's arm. Golden sacred energy condensed, gradually taking shape.

That was also when Brumbar turned away from clearing the site to look toward us. And once again, Brumbar sensed that something was wrong.

“No, wait—!”

But before that shout could even finish—

ROOOOAAAR!!

A divine dragon roared and erupted. The explosive sacred energy tore through the ground in an instant, and a shaft of light surged from its center all the way to the far reaches of the sky.

“What the hell is that one?!”

“Aaaaaaah!!!”

It tore even the onlookers' cries of horror to shreds.

Brumbar operated the Arcanoheart with an expression of utter alarm.

“Synchronize the aether with the barrier field!! Keep the ground from collapsing!!”

Meanwhile, Iliana was on the verge of fainting.

“Whaaaaaaaat?!?!”

Her blue eyes were stretched wide. She staggered, then sank to the ground, apparently losing the strength in her legs. As everyone's horror mounted upon horror...

“As I thought, mine still falls far short of yours, Adrian.”

Only Isolde remained composed. Her right arm had been completely blown apart as she approached me. In other words, she looked little different from me.

“... What was that?”

No, seriously—what was that?

The divine dragon Isolde had just released resembled Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L]. But it was not Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L]. To begin with, they used different kinds of energy: calories and divine power. Yet their mechanisms looked remarkably similar...

“I've practiced a great deal since then.”

“You mean my Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon?”

“So that's its name.”

Isolde nodded as though she finally understood.

Apparently, she really had copied Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L]. But I had never taught her how to use it.

“Don't tell me you copied it from your memory of seeing it in Violess?”

“Yes.”

Isolde answered serenely.

... And I was left speechless.

Naturally, I felt no anger over having my technique stolen. By that logic, I had imitated and copied more than a few of Ian's techniques myself. Even if she had stolen it, I wouldn't have minded if it was Isolde. She had taught me dozens of things in my previous life alone.

I was simply dumbfounded.

“This shouldn't be a technique you can just copy.”

Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] was not merely a skill that condensed energy and detonated it. It was the evolved form of Dragon Rage Explosion[E]. And Dragon Rage Explosion[E] was a combination skill formed from Dragon's Claw[A], Nutrient Synthesis[B+], Regeneration[B+], Toughened Skin[B+], Dragon’s Skin[U], and Metabolic Overdrive[U]. All those abilities were interconnected, functioning as a single skill.

For her to have copied it just by watching...

“It wasn't easy.”

Isolde spoke matter-of-factly.

... Once again, I was left speechless.

I looked ahead, where the divine dragon was rampaging and tearing the earth apart.

ROOOOAAAR!!

... Seeing it like this, I thought I more or less understood. It was similar to Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L], yet different.

Isolde's Perfect Muscle Control[A] allowed her to control her muscles with minute precision, down to individual muscle fibers. It seemed she used that ability to compress divine power, then detonated it in an instant through Divine Ascension.

As for the mechanisms of the other supporting skills, she seemed to have forcibly filled in the gaps with divine power. As the ultimate form of aura, it could accomplish anything she imagined, allowing her to imitate or replace my skills.

But “forcibly” was precisely the word for it. She was forcing it to work without properly understanding the interconnections of the combination skill.

“This is the first time I've properly succeeded.”

It seemed she had only just managed it after countless rounds of trial and error. Apparently, seeing my Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L] again had helped her realize something.

That was Isolde for you. She wasn't a hero of the allied army for nothing.

“Because of that, I barely managed to do my homework. Which is why I'd like to ask—”

Isolde continued as she regenerated her shattered right arm.

“May I finish my homework here in the county before I leave?”

“You mean you'd like to stay in the county longer?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have the time—”

“It's fine.”

Her answer was razor-sharp.

“I have no objection, but I'm not the one whose permission—”

“I already have Countess Seraphia's permission.”

When had she managed that?

“Well, then, do whatever suits you.”

“Thank you.”

Isolde bowed her head.

And somehow...

“May I keep going?”

That concluded my check of Isolde's homework.

* * *

With Isolde's help, we were able to finish the excavation quickly. She took over while I replenished my calories, and I took over while she recovered her divine power. Alternating blasts from the frenzied dragon and the holy dragon, we soon opened an enormous hole one kilometer in diameter and eleven kilometers deep.

Once all that work was done...

“Over there! The ground is about to lose stability!”

“Stabilize it, now!”

“Watch out!! Falling rocks!!”

“Aaaaaah!”

The dwarves were running everywhere, desperately trying to keep the ground from collapsing. An emergency had broken out, but Brumbar calmly controlled the situation.

“Left sector! Increase gravitational field strength by fifteen percent!”

RUMMMBLE!

The gravitational field held up the collapsing ground. Falling rocks rose and stopped in midair.

“Maintain the current output!”

Under Brumbar's command, the situation was brought completely under control.

That was Brumbar for you. Not a hero of the allied army for nothing.

I approached Iliana, who was sitting on the ground farther back, rigid as a statue. Apparently still deeply shocked, she failed to notice my approach; only her eyes and lips trembled.

“As you've seen, my constitution is rather unusual.”

Her large eyes looked up at me.

“The b-blood we're going to use for the regeneration potion... was your blood, Lord Adrian...?!”

“Will it be possible?”

Iliana trembled as though flustered. Before long, however, she settled down and began thinking.

“I think I'd have to analyze it to know. Hmm...”

But a long time passed without another word from her.

“Is there a problem?”

Iliana gave a small nod.

“Well, the factors in your blood aren't simply reacting to mana, Lord Adrian. They're reacting on their own, like living organisms.”

This was the ice troll's Regeneration[B+], not healing through aura or sacred energy. In other words, Iliana's Insight[L] had immediately recognized that it was not the power of mana.

“That means I'll have to revise the fundamental alchemical approach.”

“Please, go on.”

“I'll have to rewrite the blood-reaction formulas and redesign the bonding structure and flow—”

A complicated explanation followed.

To be honest? She had lost me at “mana reactions.”

“Is it difficult?”

“... Pardon? Oh, n-no. I can create all the new formulas and theories we need.”

That was Iliana for you. Not a hero of the allied army for nothing.

“The problem is the research equipment. To develop the formulas and theories—”

“You need equipment that can verify the results.”

“Exactly. We need a device fitted with precise magical crystals so we can adjust the blood reactions in real time...”

Iliana lowered her gaze slightly and continued.

“But a device like that... doesn't currently exist.”

“Not even at Langrid Mage Tower?”

“... No.”

Regeneration[B+] was, after all, an ice troll's ability. It had never manifested in a human since humanity first came into existence. And an ability that did not exist was not a subject of magical research.

Above all, research and theory concerning monster Madness had already been declared “impossible” as one of the Twenty-Three Problems of Arcanis. Naturally, there was no chance that equipment for studying blood with Regeneration[B+] would exist.

But there was nothing to worry about.

Insight and realization.

When Iliana devised a theory—

“What sort of device do you need?”

Brumbar made it a reality.

* * *

Iliana and Brumbar. The two heroes talked for some time.

“We also need to observe changes in the neural network within the components of the extracted blood factors. To do that—”

“Then, to detect the potential difference, the synchronization frequency—”

... Extremely complicated terminology poured out of them. Just listening to their conversation gave me a headache. They were in a world of their own, one I could not enter, so I took a step back and approached Isolde, who was resting.

Her hair was matted with blood and sweat. Detonating her sacred power had left her body in tatters. Since she still felt all the pain, she must have sustained enough damage that it would have been no surprise if she had already collapsed. Yet there she was, enduring it all. Honestly...

'She hasn't changed at all.'

Isolde was still Isolde.

I steadied my breathing and spoke.

“I should have said this sooner—”

Isolde's eyes slowly turned toward me. As ever, it was difficult to read any emotion in her quiet gaze.

“Thank you for healing Seraphia.”

“There's no need.”

Isolde gently shook her head.

“She's your little sister, Adrian.”

Her voice was brief and calm.

Then she turned her gaze away. I naturally turned my head to follow it. Iliana and Brumbar were still deep in an animated discussion, and Isolde's eyes were fixed on the two of them.

“Those two work well together.”

“They understand the world in similar ways, after all.”

Magical studies and magical engineering. When Iliana interpreted the laws, Brumbar designed the structures. The two heroes compensated for one another's shortcomings while drawing even more from each other's strengths.

They were a poor match for Isolde's divine power, which twisted those laws however it pleased. In that respect, Isolde worked well with the Spirit Mage.

Sacred power and Sorcery. Both were modified forms of aura, and their properties were similar as well.

Where sacred power placed faith in a “supernatural god” called the Holy Spirit, Sorcery simply placed faith in “natural gods” called spirits. If those two kinds of gods were bound together by a single will, the synergy between Isolde and the Spirit Mage was even more destructive than that between Iliana and Brumbar.

If Iliana and Brumbar could provide every answer to the question “What is possible?”, Isolde and the Spirit Mage could bring anything into being based on the question “What have you imagined?”

In terms of their ultimate potential, there was naturally no comparison at all...

“Could we be like that too?”

... We too?

Isolde's topaz-like eyes were now looking at me.